Though the New England Patriots are 9-2 and look to have a
playoff spot secured, there are problems on the horizon,
particularly with their defense.

Normally stout, the Patriots defense has underwhelmed all season.
They're currently 21st in Football Outsiders' defensive DVOA, and
are allowing opponents 353 yards per game, 14th in the NFL.

Basic stats don't necessarily relay how this unit has performed.
For instance, the Patriots have given up the third-fewest points
in the NFL, but they've also played an easy schedule, with
Russell Wilson and Andy Dalton ranking comfortably as the best
quarterbacks they've faced.

That the Patriots defense has untypically regressed this season
may be reflective of Bill Belichick's philosophy with his roster.
For years, the Patriots have been known for finding gems
throughout the league and turning them into reliable and
sometimes even star players. However, this year, it may be
catching up to the Patriots.

"New players kept cycling in, and the Patriots kept winning, and
Belichick seemed to have an epiphany. If he jettisoned players
whose performance dipped, who were approaching a big payday, or
who just didn’t fit his culture … Patricia could still take the
remaining players and build a defense that would maintain a
certain level of play. As Matt Light put it: 'If [Patricia] can
look at a rocket and figure out how the thrust is going to
interact with the gravitational force, he can look at the
opponent’s scheme and get fairly creative, right?'"

It seems this philosophy — scheme and coaching over raw talent —
has caught up with the Patriots.

Rohan continues, noting the team's struggles on the defensive
end.

"Now two-thirds into the season, the Patriots defense is still
searching for its identity. It looks passive at times and seems
to lack the firepower of years past, and the Boston media has
begun criticizing Patricia."

...

"It is perhaps the most difficult task Belichick has ever given
Patricia, his resident rocket scientist. Can he take those
available players and build a classic Patriots defense by
January?"

Collins was an athletic Pro-Bowl playmaker who a year ago had 5.5
sacks, five forced fumbles, and an interception. Yet after some
alleged freelancing on defense, with a big payday on the horizon,
the Patriots sent him to Cleveland for a future draft pick. Last
year, the Patriots traded Chandler Jones, who had 12.5 sacks and
four forced fumbles in 2015, to the Cardinals for a future draft
pick because Jones ran into some off-field trouble and was also
approaching a big payday. Over the offseason, they let other
reliable defenders walk in free agency.

The Patriots believe that they can coach up nearly any player,
fitting them into a scheme that often changes by week. And it's a
justifiable belief since the Patriots have made the playoffs 12
of the last 13 seasons.

However, there's also something to be said for natural talent.
Collins and Chandler, for instance, were second- and first-round
draft picks for a reason — their talent was widely coveted. While
the Patriots have had unparalleled success at finding talent late
in the draft and even outside of it, coaching can only go so far
at times.

With five weeks in the season, nobody is counting out the
Patriots — they may very well cobble together a good defense in
the remaining weeks and roll into the postseason. However, for
once, it seems that their team-building philosophy could be
backfiring.